Strange guys, those japanese

Paragon (1884)

11-07-2008, 09:46

I was originally replying to older Zemina´s Super Boy II topic, but then I thought I should make this as a new topic. But I add original quote here so you can see from where my original topic started.

There was something I remember, in world 2 allright, where you *had* to die by falling in a hole and stir your joystick right at the same time, somewhere just before that part where it's impossible to reach the other side.

Then you'd get a warp to the next part, if my memory serves me right. It's the world with the winged flying turtles...

It sounds strange, and I do agree it is. Strange guys, those Koreans. (c) Obélix

I had to say something about that "Strange guys, those Koreans". It really sounds strange that koreans made a game where you have to die to reach the other side of the ravine.

But again, I think japanese are even more strange. They had a great idea: "Hey! Let´s publish our famous sports game on TWO full price cartridges instead of one and force games players to buy BOTH if they want to play all events of this game! And by doing so, we get TWICE as much money!!" And so, MSX Track&Field was born!

Little later those japanese get even better idea: "Hey! Stupid people bought lots of Track&Field cartridges, why not release our next sports game on THREE cartridges to get even more money!! It surely works!!". And it worked, MSX games players got their Hyper Sports on THREE full price cartridges and payed a lot....

Little later those japanese were still thinking how to cheat even more money from MSX games players: "Hey, we should make space shooter game series, where you cannot finish latest game if you haven´t bought previous game." And so Nemesis 2 and Salamander were born....

Strange people those japanese, me thinks.

Imagine if all european Spectrum, Amstrad and Commodore 64 owners were forced to buy their Track&Field and Hyper Sport games on FIVE full price cassettes instead of just two cassettes...... what could have happened?

I have thought about this Konami plot many times during these over twenty years...

what you do think about it?

By animator75

Resident (38)

11-07-2008, 13:18

What about those with an MSX with only one cartridge port, should they have to buy a new computer just to be able to finish a game?? I had a SVI 728 so Nemesis 2 or Salamander (cant remember witch) I could never complete But hey, superb market strategy!

By pitpan

Prophet (3155)

11-07-2008, 14:58

Indeed, the TRACK AND FIELD / HYPER OLYPIC case is clear: two 16 KB ROMs instead of one 32 KB ROM. But hey, that's not Japanese strangeness, but wise commercial practice. Call it marketing. Good marketing. And even more if you consider that now, almost 25 years after its release, these games are still sold and bought daily on eBay and other sites.

By k0ga

Expert (77)

11-07-2008, 16:24

you must think that in earlys 80 a 32KB cartridge wasn't cheap. This is the reason they split the game in two diferents.

By SLotman

Paragon (1242)

11-07-2008, 17:26

Oh, but Japanese games ARE strange...

In Shalom, there's a part where you have to stop playing and SHUT DOWN the MSX, otherwise you will be trapped.

Once you shut it down, and re-start the game, a small bridge appears, letting you exit the area...

(Don't ask me how they did it, but that's how you can continue in the game... on a "wild guess", maybe the bridge only appear after typing the password or loading a game from that trapped area)

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

14-07-2008, 12:29

you must think that in earlys 80 a 32KB cartridge wasn't cheap. This is the reason they split the game in two diferents.

Yes, I gave thought for that. But still it feels at least a bit unfair to customer. And even more unfair for Hyper Sports buyer.

But it´s true, that it probably had affected the sales some way, if they had published Track&Field on more pricey 32Kb cartridge.

By the way, were there any 32Kb ROM MSX cartridges (from other companies) at the same time when Track&Field was published for MSX?

By pitpan

Prophet (3155)

14-07-2008, 13:13

RC707 Konami's Mahjong (1984). 32 KB ROM. 6,000 yen
RC710/RC711 Hyper Olympic/Track and Field 1/2 (1984). 16 KB ROM each. 4,800 yen each.

Therefore Konami had produced 32 KB ROM before publishing these games as separate 16 KB ROMs.

(prices according to GenerationMSX info)

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

15-07-2008, 09:24

thanks Pitpan, you read my thoughts! I meant to ask prices of 32Kb cartridges, but forgot... so thanks!

By MäSäXi

Paragon (1884)

15-07-2008, 09:29

I made bit calculations (based 1980s software prices in Finland and UK) and must say, that 32Kb Mahjong cartridge wasn´t too much more expensive than 16 Kb cartridges... thought of course it´s true that even just a bit higher prices can make many buyers to find something cheaper...

By pitpan

Prophet (3155)

15-07-2008, 10:08

If you ask me, I'd have bought TRACK AND FIELD 1 instead of MAH JONG because of the game. There's nothing like a good cursor bashin' session in the afternoon.

By Selious_new

Supporter (10)

08-10-2008, 23:47

Hehe I payed 75 guilders for track and field 1. And I was disappointed. Them someone from school gave me some cassetes with games including this game. Ofcourse copying is bad, but when u are 10 years old (22 years ago) and only have 2.50 guilders a week allounce.....

I did buy a lot of Dutch MSX games and demo's back in the days, that whole scene started when I was 13 or something and had vacation jobs. And they weren't that expensive. One game pumkin adventure was expensive I belive and really sucked.